Lewinsky's Mother To Marry Media Executive

NEW YORK (AllPolitics, Feb. 2) -- Marcia Lewis, mother of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, is engaged to marry a New York media executive with ties to Democratic politics. Her future groom is a friend of Washington superlawyer Vernon Jordan.

Peter Straus, as he is known, is the chairman of Straus Communications, a newspaper and radio chain, with holdings in the Hudson Valley area of upstate New York and in northern New Jersey. The private company owns 11 radio stations and five newspapers.

"My daughter runs the print side and my son runs the radio side. I give advice," Straus told CNN. He has four children.

Straus is 74. His wife of 45 years, Ellen Sulzberger Straus, a
member of the family that controls The New York Times, died of cancer in
1995. Jordan spoke at the funeral. Straus said he and his first wife
were friends with Vernon and Ann Jordan for more than 20 years.

Straus described Marcia Lewis as "my fiance." He says the couple has not set a wedding date. They were introduced by a Washington friend last year, so the relationship started more than a year and a half after Monica's White House internship.

Straus is a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party. He was a New
York delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1960 and 1964. He served in the State Department under President Lyndon Johnson as the assistant administrator for Africa AID (Agency for International Development), from 1967-69. He also served under President Jimmy Carter as director of Voice of America from 1977-79.

Straus is an alumnus of Yale University, a World War II veteran who served in the Air Force, and is the author of several books, including "Is The State Department Color Blind?" (1971), "The Buddy System in Foreign Affairs" (1973) and "The Father of Anne Frank" (1975).

Straus says he has met Monica only once or twice, over dinner with her mother. He described her as "lovely," "bubbly," and "nice."

He would not comment on the nature or veracity of Lewinsky's alleged affair with the president.